Vegas, baby!

We've been in Vegas for several days. Most of the family we were meeting stayed at Bally's; M's parents stayed at Harrah's. When we booked our accommodations, we found that we could get a room at a brand new hotel for the same amount we'd spend at those, so we tried it. Vdara is near Bellagio (a sister hotel) and has no casino and no smoking. It was very modern; we really enjoyed staying there. We spent time each day at Bally's, where the family had reserved a cabana at the pool. I managed to get a weird sunburn on my back, top of my knees, and of course, the part in my hair. We decided to see a show while we were there. The family was going to another show--we decided to see Frank Caliendo, a comedian who does impressions. He was pretty funny, loved his presidential impressions, great Kermit the Frog, spent a lot of time on Charles Barkley (when he says terrible, is he saving the vowels for Wheel of Fortune? Trrble. You know it's true!)

I lost money on slots, did okay on Blackjack (didn't win, but played for a long time without losing it all, and got a bunch of free cards and beads at the Bally's party pit), and had fun hanging out with the family. We had dinner at the Wynn one night, and on the way back, I took my shoes off in Bellagio (not in the casino) and a lady stopped to tell me I shouldn't do that because I would get parasites. I always wash my feet when I walk barefoot (outside my own house) but I was surprised someone would say something. Especially after I've been in public pools all weekend! I noticed a lot of women were doing the same thing. (Apparently, women only wear heels or flip flops in Vegas.)

I guess we haven't been to Vegas in a while because we found some things to be new or more intense. First, there are women dancing in the casinos, usually a stage in one of the pits, not stripping but not really dressed either. And not just at night, though they weren't out on Sunday. At night, there are people in costume all over the strip, making money off tips by taking pictures with tourists. Superman really looked like Christopher Reeve! The most annoying thing is those guys, not the ones selling water for a buck, but the ones flipping or clicking their flyers at anyone walking by. As far as I can tell, we could get rid of a lot of trash (paper) and illegal immigrants by cleaning that mess up.

We might go back next year for another cousin's birthday....